A Lassen Caribou Loop

 We had a little window and we took it to get out of the valley and up into the mountains. We started off Wednesday afternoon and stayed at what I am calling the Meadow of the Big Frogs. Walking along in the full moon we still had to use a head lamp to avoid a squish event with a giant frog. Why they were out wandering the forest on such a chilly night I don't know but in the light of day there was no frogs to be seen. After that I took some clear cut photos along the Mineral-Viola road... the one above shows Sierra Pacific Industrial logging right up to the National Forest Boundary, guaranteeing a blow down effect in the national forest border trees.

 We didn't go far that day. Stayed a long stretch at Broke-off Meadows, an idyllic meadow and creek backing up to the west side of Broke Off Mountain where we saw no one for the full time we were there.

 Next day we rounded to the North side of Lassen Park and found out it was the "car free weekend" which meant we couldn't park in the park but we pulled the bikes off, loaded Selkie in the cart and pedaled off for some long hills into the stillness of mature forest without the vigilance normally required for road riding.

 That night we found ourselves on the Hat Creek Rim Overlook for the sunset. Next morning we walked a bit on the Pacific Crest Trail... remarking on the dryness that is already locked in to this burned over ridge line but also on the beauty of the views-- Lassen to the south and Shasta to the north.

 We went back into the park with the idea to visit Butte Lake and ended up taking a nap on it's black sand beach with not another soul around... the cold wind across the fronts of us and the deeply warm sand at our backs.

 Then last night we camped at Caribou Lake and hiked into the Wilderness area this morning. Michael can't resist even a patch of snow so my two snow angels had some creative time before we had to close our loop and head back to Chico for another chemo day tomorrow. So much beauty and peace out there in the pines and sweet smelling mountain air-- so grateful we could be there to restore our bearings.